Marc Austwick

Marc Austwick, a 63-year-old White man from Lake Forest, Illinois, was known as a beloved son, husband, and father. His brother, John Austwick, 60, of Mundelein, was called Joe by his friends and family and was just beginning to realize his lifelong dream of starting a carpentry business. He was a proud father to two daughters and looked forward to seeing his youngest graduate from law school. The lives of both brothers ended in tragedy in the summer of 2024.

In the early morning hours of June 5, 2024, firefighters in Highland Park, Illinois, responded to a call about a house fire on Park Avenue West. When they arrived around 3:50 a.m., they found the home engulfed in flames. Outside the burning structure, first responders discovered the bodies of Marc and John Austwick. An autopsy later confirmed that both men had died from multiple gunshot wounds. Marc had been shot nine times and John four times. The home belonged to their 84-year-old mother, Phyllis Austwick, who had passed away from a medical issue just five days earlier, on May 31.

The investigation, led by the Highland Park Police Department and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, quickly focused on the victims’ younger brother, Jeffrey Austwick, 54, who had been living at their late mother’s house. Investigators learned that Marc and John had gone to the home to discuss the property with Jeffrey. Authorities believe that sometime after his brothers arrived, Jeffrey shot both of them, then set the house on fire and fled in his vehicle. Police were reportedly aware of an ongoing financial dispute between the brothers regarding Jeffrey paying rent to cover the property’s taxes.

A nationwide arrest warrant was issued, and a two-day manhunt ensued. On June 7, 2024, at approximately 5:30 a.m., authorities in St. Louis, Missouri, arrested Jeffrey Austwick in a park near the Gateway Arch. He was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest.

Jeffrey Austwick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He waived extradition and was transferred from Missouri to the Lake County Jail in Illinois. During his first court appearance in Lake County, a judge ordered him to be held without pretrial release. As of May 2025, Jeffrey Austwick remained in custody at the Lake County Jail, and the case was active in court with ongoing case management conferences.